1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to decks that may be attached to the exterior of buildings, and more particularly to a gutter system that is integrated directly into the deck's planks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Published U.S. Patent Application No. 2002/0032990 A1 (“the '990 patent publication”), a continuation-in-part of U.S. Pat. No. 6,279,271 B1 (“the '271 patent”), discloses that typically, decks have planks for flooring with openings between the planks through which water and other matter infiltrate. Usually decks are attached to building structures. Many upper story decks have useable space beneath them, including lower decks and patios. It is often desirable to protect areas under decks from infiltration, particularly of rainwater, and to divert the infiltration away from areas beneath the deck.
Ways of dealing with infiltrations though decks include:                1. special decking planks having a trough formed along one edge and a mating flange formed along another edge;        2. building a flat or sloping roof at some level underneath the deck planks as part of the deck structure;        3. attaching water shedding gutters directly or indirectly to deck joists; and        4. attaching water channeling troughs to deck joists.        
U.S. Pat. No. 5,758,467 (“the '467 patent”) discloses a modular deck member or plank 30 preferably made from a material which has the requisite durability, strength, and flexibility characteristics necessary for the plank 30. The planks 30 are preferably extruded from polyvinyl chloride (“PVC”), or alternatively from any suitable thermoplastic material, such as polypropylene, polyethylene, low density polyethylene (“LDPE”), vinyl acetate copolymers, vinyl chloride monomers (“VCM”), or acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (“ABS”).
The plank 30 disclosed in the '467 patent includes several hollow channels 510a–510d that extend parallel to each other throughout its length. A first connector portion 200, which is extruded along one edge of the plank 30, includes a U-shaped gutter 220 that has an upwardly projecting finger 270 which forms one edge of the plank 30. A second connector portion 300, extruded along the other edge of the plank 30, includes a groove 350. The groove 350 is adapted to receive the finger 270 of the first connector portion 200 of an immediately adjacent plank 30 between a groove strut 360 and a leg 430. The leg 430 extends downward from the top of one plank 30, parallel and adjacent to the finger 270, to a gutter floor 240 of the gutter 220 of an immediately adjacent plank 30. A foot member 440, that is located immediately above the gutter floor 240 and that projects away from the leg 430 across the gutter floor 240, forms the other edge of the plank 30. Thus, during assembly of a deck using planks 30 the leg 430 and foot member 440 of the second connector portion 300 of a first plank 30are inserted into the gutter 220 of a second plank 30 such that the finger 270 of the second plank 30 is disposed within the groove 350 of first plank 30, and foot member 440 is disposed in contact with gutter floor 240. In this way the second connector portion 300 of the first plank 30 overlaps into the gutter 220 of the first connector portion 200 of the second plank 30. Fasteners 40, which extend downward through holes that respectively pierce both the foot member 440 of one plank 30 and the gutter floor 240 of an immediately adjacent plank 30, fix the planks 30 to a subfloor or supporting structure. Assembled in this way, gutters 220 permit water to drain along their respective lengths between and parallel to pairs of immediately adjacent planks 30. However, the gutters 220 provided by the planks 30 are not impervious due to the presence of the holes through which pass the fasteners 40. Thus, runoff water may penetrate the gutter 220 to the subfloor or supporting structure immediately beneath planks 30.
Instead of planks manufactured specifically for use in decks, a flat roof may be built as part of the deck structure above joists which support the decking planks before planks forming the deck are laid onto the roof. As is readily apparent, such a flat roof must be built first during the deck's construction. Alternatively, a sloping roof with framing can be built beneath the joists supporting the deck. The '271 patent and the '990 patent publication respectively disclose a sloping roof that is located beneath deck planks and joists.
Instead of constructing a roof beneath the deck's planks, elongated drainage gutters can be attached directly or indirectly to joists that support the deck's planks. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,860,502, 5,511,351, 5,765,328, 6,212,837 B1, 6,226,956 B1 and 6,393,785 B1 all disclose elongated drainage gutters which are fastened to sides of joists that support the deck's planks and span between the joists. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,260,316 B1 and 6,415,571 B2 both disclose elongated drainage gutters which are supported beneath the joists that support the deck's planks and span between the joists. U.S. Pat. No. 4,065,883 (“the '883 patent”) discloses gutters disposed between joists having flanges or lips that are fastened to the top of deck joists with the deck's planks being laid onto of the trough's flanges or lips. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 6,308,479, in one embodiment, discloses elongated support rails, that are fastened directly to the lower surface of decking planks between joists, to which elongated drainage gutters are attached.
A major problem with all these trough-type drainage systems is that they depend on joist orientation and regularity of spacing between joists. Many decks are built with joists of one section oriented perpendicularly or diagonally to joists of other sections. Some decks have sections at different levels. The mechanics and appearance of integrating irregular and/or transversely oriented troughs, perhaps at different elevations, is awkward as best and probably unworkable in a great many situations.
Another major problem is achieving satisfactory appearance for these drainage systems. For appearance purposes, bottoms of decks with troughs in the joist area may preferably be covered, adding additional material and weight to the structure, and, making access for maintenance and leakage problems even more difficult. Infiltrations between the trough and the deck's structure is another problem that is generally not addressed in the references identified above. Presumably, at least for existing decks, a lot of caulking and flashing would be required in the joist space. If there is a maintenance problem with the gutter systems disclosed in the references, access could be very difficult.
From a structural perspective, other than for the gutter systems disclosed in the '467 and the '883 patents, the references identified above disclose gutter systems that effectively constitute separate roofs positioned somewhere below the upper surface of joists that support the deck's planks. Other than for the special purpose decking planks disclosed in the '467 patent, none of the gutter systems disclosed in those references are integrated directly into the deck's planks.